Shaw hopes to push the right buttons

New head coach wants Nuggets prepared for the playoffs

DENVER -- Brian Shaw used to help bring the Kobe out of Kobe. Now he hopes to bring the Kobe out of others by bringing up Kobe.

"When I had a young player like Paul George or Lance Stephenson in Indiana, if they wanted to just cut corners, I'd just remind them, 'There's a guy on the coast who's one of the best to ever play the game, and he doesn't cut corners,'?" said Shaw, the 20th coach in Nuggets history.

Shaw was a teammate of Kobe Bryant's and later coached him with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"He puts in his work. He respects the game. He takes care of his body," Shaw said of Bryant.

As a coach and motivator, Shaw pushes buttons carefully, and purposely, like a pianist midconcerto. All-Star players such as George, whom Shaw coached at Indiana, and former Lakers center Andrew Bynum, have publicly endorsed Shaw's ability to motivate.

"He has an expectation level that he holds everyone to, and he does any andeverything in his will to push you to it," George said Tuesday.

At the Pepsi Center on Tuesday afternoon, Shaw was introduced at a news conference that lasted nearly an hour. The former Pacers assistant was quick to thank Stan Kroenke, whom he called "one of the most-respected owners in all of professional sports."

Shaw said he believes the Nuggets are close to being contenders. With straightforward talk and passion, the 47-year-old coach addressed and attacked two key issues with the Nuggets: winning in the playoffs and developing young talent.

Advertisement

The Nuggets won 57 games last season but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets' lackluster postseason showing played a role in the firing of coach George Karl, who advanced Denver past the first round just once.

While Shaw is a first-time head coach, he has been a part of innumerable playoff runs under mentors Phil Jackson and Frank Vogel, the Pacers' current coach.

" I know from my experience playing and coaching against the Phoenix Suns when they were winning 60 games, playing an up-and-down style -- that doesn't necessarily translate well when you get to the playoffs," Shaw said. "So, one area I want to strengthen is the ability to attack and get up and down, but to play in the half court and execute in the half court, because you get judged on what you do in the playoffs.

"In the playoffs, the game slows down. You don't see a lot of games in the 100s, so you have to grind it out. And our Indiana teams, we struggled to score but were a very good defensive team, and that's something you have to have."

The 57 wins were a historic accomplishment -- most in Nuggets NBA history -- but there was tension behind the scenes with the lack of regular-season development of some young players, such as center JaVale McGee, and even shooters such as Evan Fournier and Jordan Hamilton.

Shaw said he is committed to developing young talent, but those players need to put in the work to get on the court.

"Coaches get faced with difficult decisions, (sometimes thinking) that if this guy isn't a polished player, we're going to explore other areas as options to score," Shaw said. "Obviously the players have to put in the work, but you have to use them and put them in a position to succeed -- and you have to live with the mistakes they'll make. You have to be patient, but at the same time, be firm. I can live with the mistakes as long as the player is actually putting in the time and working.

"So, it may cost you a win or two during the regular season, but as long as we're building to prepare for the playoffs, so we can count on this guy to make this move or make this shot, that's the ultimate goal. You just have to use him effectively, not just have guys out there on the floor."

When the Nuggets hired Tim Connelly, a first-time general manager, this month, he spoke about the importance of cohesion with the new coach.

"(Shaw and I) have a million similar friends, and over the course of countless conversations, first thing everybody said was, great guy, great guy, great guy," Connelly said Tuesday. "I think by far that's the most important attribute to success. Good people do good things. Brian and I have enjoyed getting to know each other. We want to do this the right way. The right way is having one vision and one goal.

"Debates are healthy. Constructive debates are great. When the door opens, any decision he makes or I make, we're going to support.

"I'm confident that's the kind of relationship we're going to enjoy. It was only confirmed over the interview process. Some of my best friends were guys he grew up with. I feel fantastic about forging that bond."

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story